Exfoliation of the skin can be undertaken by either chemical or mechanical means. Chemical exfoliation involves the process of applying to the skin a chemical which strips away the top layer of the skin.
By contrast, mechanical exfoliation involves the removal of dead skin using coarse or granular materials. Such coarse materials may include pumice stones and the like.
Granular mechanical exfoliants are typically known in the art as body scrubs. Body scrubs and the like are commonly used in cosmetic applications to remove layers of dead skin from the user. Their use results in the improvement of the appearance of the skin of the user, as well as rendering the skin smoother. Facial scrubs, foot scrubs etc. may fall within the general meaning of the term body scrub depending on the area of the body to which they are applied. Although such scrubs may be individually formulated to suit the particular application, e.g. a facial scrub may have finer granules than a foot scrub, they all fall within the broad classification of a body scrub.
The term “user” includes an individual who applies an exfoliating composition to the body of another individual, as well as an individual who has an exfoliating composition applied to their body by another individual. It also includes an individual who applies an exfoliating composition to their own body.
The body scrubs of the prior art are in a liquid or paste like form. They are contained in appropriate packaging which allows the user to apply the body scrub to the desired parts of the body. For example, WO 08/047,148 and WO 08/023,145 disclose exfoliant body scrubs of a fluid or paste like composition.
However, the required use of packaging is a disadvantage to the body scrubs of the prior art. From an environmental perspective, waste packaging is a significant problem, despite the availability of recycling.
The present invention seeks to provide an exfoliating composition which does not require packaging, yet remains in a usable state when stored.